The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-11
THE MYSTERIOUS PETER NEY.
DIR. Draper Inclined to the Belief That
He Was Not the Famous Marshal.
Madison wis } Special. /

Madison wis Special
DIR. Lyman G. Draper, for thirty years or
more corresponding secretary of the Wis
consin State Historical Society, who has
taken much interest in the suspicion that
Peter Ney, an old Frenchman who appeared
in North Carolina in 1916, and devoted
himself to school-teaching, was, in fact,
the famous Marshal Ney, says that he has
had no information as to the result of the ex
humation of the old school-teacher's body,
which was made yesterday in North Caro-
lima. A report has been published that
Marshal Ney's skull was trephined, and
Carolina tradition exists that the old
school.teacher's skull was also trephined.
1t was to determine this that exhumation
was undertaken. DR.. Draper declares that
he has been unable to find any evidence
that Marshal Ney's skull really was tre-
pinned, and all he has ascertained about
the actual condition of the French peda-
gogue's pate Is that there was an ugly scar
across the forehead. DIR. Draper is await
ing with interest news of the result of the
elimination. A Carolina tradition has 1t
that Marshal Ney was not executed in
France, but that substitute was shot
while he escaped from the country.
New YORK, May A special from
Third Creek, N. c., says: Several promI-
nept physicians of the Salisbury section
some time ago decided to exhume the re-
mains of Peter S. Ney from their grave
near this place, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether they are those of the fam
Gus Marshal Ney, of France, who COM
manded the Old Guard at Waterloo. Of
all the romsnces which have had their in
ception in North Carolina this is one of the
greatest. In 1916 Ney appeared in this
State. He was singular man, and from
the very first attracted attention, although
he used all possible means to avoid pub.
Lefty. He taught school in Iredell
and Rowan Counties, and among
his pupils were men who after
ward became prominent. Certain facts
were ascertained about this Singular man
which fixed the belief in the neighborhood
that he was really Marshal Ney, in spite OF
the historical fact that Ney was duly shot in
Paris. For years the matter has been dis
cussed, not only here but in all parts Of the
country and abroad. DR.. Lyman Draper,
president of the Wisconsin Historical So
clety, has taken deep interest in the mat
ter, and in the past two years great deal
has been written on the subject. At the
special request OF Or. Draper some of the
most prominent physicians of Salisbury
agreed to exhume the body and to make
careful examination of the skull. Marshal
Ney's skull was trephined, and if this
skull was found to have been similarly
operated upon it would be practically con-
elusive proof.
Among the papers of evidence to aid the
assertion made by many here that Marshal
Ney was this schoolteacher was this: a
Frenchman from an adjoining county,
who had been a soldier under Marshal Ney
and afterwaId moved to America, was at a
public gathering in Statewide one day
and recognized the school-teacher as his
old commander. He threw up mis- hands
and exclaimed: mon Dieul Marshal
Neyl" Without demonstration Ney called
his nane and with his right hand waved
him of, placing the index finger over his
mouth, indicating silence. Both men soon
after left the crowd, and were afterWard
seen IN private conference. Four DAYS aft
er the battle of Waterloo Marshal Ney an.
nounced his determination TO go to Amer
lea, thus showing his attention was turned
toward this country.
A gentleman who nursed Peter Ney and
was with him in death and at his burial,
said yesterday that Ney was perfectly con-
scious at the time, and that he talked
about his wife and children, and stated
several times while on his death-bed that
he was Marshal Ney. In dressing him for
burial they found that Ney had been
wounded on the thigh, neck, side and
wrist, and had large scar, like a saber-
cut, on the head.
After consideration, yesterday was de-
cided upon for the examination, and at an
early hour the citizens of the surrounding
country and neighboring towns began to
come in, and soon large crowd had gath
cred around the quiet little country
church. In the assemblage were many of
Ney's former pupils, these being old men
now, their ages ranging from sixty to sew
enty-tive years. at l O'Clock the physi-
clans in charge announced that they had
no pecuniary interest in the matter, and
that the examination was merely in the
interest of history. When the grave was
opened nothing was found except few of
the largest bones, some coffin nails and a
small remnant of one plank. The gentle
men in charge made the following report:
1.-THE undersigned physicians wish to
state that, according to previous notice,
we did to-day cause to be exhumed the re-
mains Of Peter S. New in the presence of a
great number of witnesses, some of them
fIom Washington, Raleigh, N. c., and
other parts of the country. We found
some of the bones only, and these in state
of such decay that we can not state posi-
lively whether the skull had ever been ire
pinned or not. We made diligent search
for the bullets said to have been lodged in
the body, but found none. We succeeded
so far, however, as to ascertain that the
skeleton was about five feet and ten inches
long, and the skull, around above the eyes,
about twenty-four inches in circumfer-
ence."
This statement was signed by nine of
the most prominent physicians in this Sec
ton. The skull measured seven and three
fourths inches across the forhead, and
eight inches from point above the eyes to
the rear of the head. The right side was
well preserved, but the left, where the
wound, was, crumbled. All the bones were
returned to the grave. Let this days work
prove what it may, it will be long time
before those Straightforward and honest
people can be induced to change their long
cherished opinion that their old teacher
and friend was no other than Marshal Ney.